WASHINGTON – The airplane carrying United States First Lady Melania Trump was forced to make an emergency landing a few minutes after taking off due to smoke in the cabin, local media reported.

The incident, which took place early Wednesday morning, forced the pilot to return to Andrews air base in Maryland, from where the plane had taken off 10 minutes earlier, according to reporters accompanying the first lady.

Cabin personnel passed out moist towels and gave instructions to the passengers to cover their faces with them to avoid breathing in the smoke.

So far, no report has been issued on the cause of the problem.

Mrs. Trump was scheduled to fly to Philadelphia early Wednesday morning to participate in a “Be Best” campaign event, a program focused on children and devoted to fighting opioid abuse and online bullying.

Ultimately, both Mrs. Trump and her entourage boarded a second plane that departed two hours later than originally scheduled en route for Philadelphia, where it arrived without further incident.

Enter your email address to subscribe to free headlines (and great cartoons so every email has a happy ending!) from the Latin American Herald Tribune: